Motorsports FanHouse

Despite Precautions, Talladega Remains Wild Ride

Holly Cain — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR Tracks

Depending on your perspective, Ryan Newman either had the best seat in the house or the worst during NASCAR's last visit to the mighty and unpredictable Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Carl Edwards, Sprint Cup rookie Brad Keselowski and Newman were 100 yards in front of the checkered flag, set to decide the winner amongst themselves, when Keselowski and Edwards collided directly in front of Newman. Edwards' Ford went airborne, bounced off the hood and windshield of Newman's Chevy, then flew into the fencing along the front stretch grandstands in a horrific-looking accident that led the country's sports highlight reels.

If you haven't seen the video, you will. It'll be played over and over and over all weekend as the Sprint Cup Series makes its Chase for the Championship visit to Talladega this week.

And each time you watch it, it will seem amazing that all the drivers were safe -- Keselowski got his maiden Cup victory and Newman went on to a career-best, third place at Talladega. Seven fans, however, were injured by debris that flew off Edwards car, prompting NASCAR and the track to institute some safety upgrades for this Halloween stop at the sport's largest track.

"It was a wild finish and it got a little tense at the end,'' Newman said in the ultimate understatement.

"We want exciting races, but we don't want to see cars airborne either,'' Newman said this week. "It's not safe and we need to collectively work to make sure what happened in the last race at Talladega doesn't happen again.''

After extracting himself from his mangled No. 39 Chevrolet that April evening, Newman immediately declared, "There's no such thing as an over-reaction for safety" and called the day's tightly-packed restrictor plate action, "just crazy."

Championship points leader Jimmie Johnson, involved in a multi-car crash with 10 laps remaining, was even more blunt: "It sucks racing here.''

Edwards somehow managed to climb out of his car unhurt, jog across the finish line, tell his mom in a television interview that he was "okay" and then sternly warned,"NASCAR has put us in this box and we'll race like this until we kill someone and then they'll change it.''

And NASCAR listened.

Sort of.

This weekend, NASCAR has mandated a smaller restrictor plate -- meaning there will be about 10-15 less horsepower for the cars. Talladega Superspeedway has extended the height of its catch fence another eight feet -- making it 22 feet high now -- and hired an engineering firm to "enhance" the fencing materials.

Daytona International Speedway, the other restrictor plate track on the circuit -- has also raised its fencing.

All this will at least give spectators peace of mind. Because of the pack-racing, multi-car crashes aren't going anywhere. They'll just happen at slightly slower speeds.

And let's face it, the "Big One" is part of Talladega's folklore. No one wants to see anyone get hurt, but fans love the unpredictable, from-last-to-first-in-10-laps possibilities that exist here. The baggage with that tight, draft racing is the potential for any driver lapse to create a 15-car melee.

NASCAR has had to balance the thrill of its show with the safety of its competitors and, just as importantly, the safety of its fans. Would NASCAR have reacted with new rules had fans not been hurt?

Newman not only had a front-row seat for the crash but also holds an engineering degree, making his perspective uniquely qualified. He likes the restrictor plate change and the fence modification, but thinks the real issue may be a question of aerodynamics and how to keep the cars from getting airborne in the first place.

"It's just a matter of excitement and strategy and the timing of those things in conjunction with what lap we're on and what there is to expect before the end of the race,'' Newman said.

"Realistically, you never know what to expect.''

And that's the rub ... and the attraction.

For his part, Edwards is scheduled to meet with Blake Bobbitt, the 17-year-old girl who was most seriously injured in April attending her first NASCAR race. Her jaw was broken and had to be wired shut for the remainder of her senior year of high school. After the race Edwards called it the worst feeling he's ever had in racing.

Since then Edwards has called periodically to check on her and the Bobbitt family will be a guest of NASCAR at the pre-race drivers meeting on Sunday.

"She's coming back to the track which is a great example of how passionate our fans are,'' Edwards said. "She's pumped about the race too, so that's cool.''

Despite Precautions, Talladega Remains Wild Ride originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did the Brickyard Win People Back?

Holly Cain — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:53:00 EST

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR Testing, NASCAR Tracks

INDIANAPOLIS -- For all the talk of problematic tires and empty seats, the rubber held up and an estimated crowd of 180,000 showed up Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for NASCAR's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Although a dominating performance by Juan Pablo Montoya made the race look like it might be a runaway, the former Indy 500 champ made a pit road mistake that allowed the dependable Hendrick Motorsports team to pounce with what turned into an exciting late-laps battle between 50-year-old pole-sitter Mark Martin and gracious but gritty Jimmie Johnson.

There will be those that criticize "the racing" even after watching the most underrated three-time champ masterfully hold off the series' winningest driver in Martin, a huge sentimental favorite.

But a good race doesn't always have to be filled with door-banging, crash-filled, side-by-side racing (although that's always a good thing). It's about a compelling storyline and a close finish.

The Brickyard had both of those.

Although I haven't missed an Indianapolis 500 since 1991, it's been almost 10 years since I last covered NASCAR's visit to the world's most famous track. The massive press room was noticeably empty -- no staffers from the Los Angeles Times, either Detroit paper, or even nearby Chicago or Cleveland.

My colleagues assured me that there was a noticeable drop in attendance from last year and there were the obvious signs -- lots of empty seats in the prime front-stretch grandstands and more tellingly, no traffic Sunday morning.

Everyone was prepared for this in the days leading up to the race. The troubled economy shared the blame with the uncertainty of tire performance, even as the competitors themselves assured, promised and swore the tires wouldn't be the same problem as they were last summer when teams had to pit every 10-15 laps for fresh tires.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway's outgoing President Joie Chitwood said the single greatest day of ticket sales didn't come until a few weeks ago when when four-time cup champion, and four-time Brickyard winner, Jeff Gordon declared during a June tire test that Goodyear had solved the tire problem and guaranteed fans the tires would not be an issue in the race.

This event is not the Indianapolis 500 -- nor has it ever aspired to be -- and the stock cars aren't exactly suited for the tight, flat track.

There have been whispers that maybe NASCAR shouldn't be at The Speedway anymore; that its welcome has worn off, its luster gone.

Now the debate becomes who needs who more. Does NASCAR still need to be at this historic facility? Or does Indianapolis Motor Speedway need to be a part of the country's most popular motor sports series? The answers are yes and yes.

NASCAR's 1994 arrival in Indianapolis came at a time when the stock car series was beginning a massive expansion into untapped markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Kansas City. It was the beginning of the popularity peak that took NASCAR into the national consciousness, to a billion-dollar television deal and beyond the perception it was merely a regional obsession.

The Speedway also needed NASCAR. Having just one race -- even if it was the Indianapolis 500 -- didn't make economic sense. And in the mid 1990s when the Indy 500 suffered through the open-wheel split, NASCAR's contribution to IMS became more significant.

"I think it's developed into a very nice balance,'' said Indianapolis Motor Speedway Vice President of Communications, Fred Nation. "The Allstate 400 has developed into one of the favorite races for drivers and teams, acknowledging the track possesses unusual challenges. But they like the tradition and prestige of winning here.

"The novelty has worn off in the sense that a generation of drivers now regard the race as another on the schedule, while the previous generation thought this was the Indianapolis 500 track and never thought they'd be able to run on it.''

As for Sunday's race, Nation thinks the event answered the doom and gloomers.

"I'm sure it maintained its place as the largest attended NASCAR race of the year,'' Nation said. "As badly as we felt after the race lat year, we feel equally better about the prospects for 2010 that this will be the turnaround. It exceeded out expectations.''

People may be talking as much about who didn't win Sunday as much as they are about who did.

At least they're talking about the race and not about tires.

Did the Brickyard Win People Back? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ticket Policy at Chicagoland May Change

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:18:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

Just in case you hadn't heard, NASCAR has felt a little bit of impact from this whole downturn thing in the economy -- and this weekend's race at Chicagoland Speedway certainly won't be any different.

In fact, the track is likely going to miss out on a sellout of the grandstand tickets for just the second time since the Sprint Cup Series started coming to the 1.5-miler in a suburb of Chicago some 45 miles away from downtown in 2001.

Fortunately, the track made a smart move a year ago by installing lights for nighttime racing and this week acknowledged an even better change might be made for 2010 concerning the currently idiotic way to buy tickets from the track.

Loyal readers -- all 3 of you -- may have remembered last year when yours truly spent the weekend in Joliet for the Cup race, and even then with a sellout ready to see the 2008 edition of the 400-miler, I pondered what the track might be losing thanks to its ticketing process.

You see, in order to have a grandstand ticket in your possession bought strictly from the speedway for Saturday night's race, you'd have to buy a "Track Pack" at a minimum price of $195. This pack actually is a pretty good deal because you get something like five races for the price, but only two during the NASCAR weekend. The remaining three are the IndyCar, Camping World Truck and ARCA Seres hosted later in the summer.

In other words, every seat at Chicagoland Speedway is a season ticket -- which makes it great for when the IndyCar series comes to town because they can tecnically say they sold the same amount of tickets as NASCAR did in the Chicago market.

In my post a year ago, I wondered if the 75,000 seats the track has (small for NASCAR standards) is too small of a goal for the track and that if they offered 100,000 or 125,000 seats in a manner where a fan -- or a casual observer wanting to see NASCAR for the first time with the family -- could walk up and buy tickets to a race that didn't run them $200 a piece.

After all, a big goal of coming to the Chicago market was to expand the fan base there to help draw more coverage to the sport from the large media market that is the Windy City. But come on, if you've never seen NASCAR before -- what does a $200 ticket for other races you don't care about say to you?

It says NASCAR is too expensive for the common person, when in reality, its a sport thats built around that person.

Obviously, there's not been a whole lot of good come out of the economic downturn, but in Chicago and other NASCAR markets, its likely going to make racing a whole lot more affordable for fan who wants to check out the action. In fact, the new track president at Chicagoland, Craig Rust, even said so himself in a story by the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this week.

"We need to do everything we can to get back to a sellout in 2010," Rust said. "The Track Pack provides a lot of value when you look at it. But that's something that needs to be looked at."

His boss and International Speedway Corporation president John Saunders agreed that the ISC-owned facility, in addition to the other tracks in the ISC portfolio, will likely see changes in ticket policy for 2010.

"I anticipate for the next year that at certain events we will unbundle ticket packages, as well as adjust prices in other sections of the facilities beyond just the entry-level tickets," Saunders said. "This is a high priority of our management team, to optimize attendance and revenue generation in what we expect will continue to be a challenging economic environment."

For starters, I'd recommend selling a few more event-specific tickets and allowing fans to bring coolers into the grandstands at places like Chicagoland that ban them. There'll always be that frugal fan who wants to save money, while at the same time, there's the fan -- and probably two times as many of these ones -- that doesn't care to haul a cooler into the track and will spend money on the high-priced concession food.

Finally, it seems like Chicagoland is on track to becoming much more friendly to the cost-concious fan, and as I bet they'll find out, their attendance and tickets sales could swing up dramatically in 2010 just with the implication of some friendlier ticket packages and guest policies.

Ticket Policy at Chicagoland May Change originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weather Determines Winner - Again

Holly Cain — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Toyota, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

If we celebrated David Reutimann's win at Charlotte last month and Matt Kenseth's February Daytona 500 victory -- both races called off early because of rain -- then no one can begrudge rookie Joey Logano his maiden win Sunday at rain-soaked New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

However, we can question NASCAR's schedule. And we're entitled to bristle just a bit at Sunday's finish.

More Coverage: Logano Makes History | Check Standings

This is the second consecutive year -- and fourth time overall -- that weather dictated the outcome at New Hampshire instead of the racing. Qualifying has been rained out five times in the last eight seasons, including Friday.

The fine folks in New England deserve their slice of Sprint Cup action. But the rest of the country deserves a chance to see a legitimate race. And the drivers -- like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson, who actually ran up front at New Hampshire -- deserve a better fate.

Maybe racing at New Hampshire in June isn't the best idea.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only November has more average rainfall than June and July in Loudon, N.H. where the track is located.

Obviously you can't predict rain and you can't control the weather. But you can recognize a pattern.

And until NASCAR takes a serious look at fitting its venues with the proper weather, this is going to be an unfortunate side effect. It's too cold to race here in February and March, but April and May might provide better conditions.

Many fans will be unhappy with Sunday's outcome, if for no other reason, Logano wasn't a real factor all day. He was not better than Gordon or Busch or Stewart who battled for the lead throughout the afternoon.

But give the rookie's championship crew chief, veteran Greg Zipadelli credit. His meteorology skills triumphed and his strategy worked despite Logano's best effort to derail a decent finish earlier in the day.

Logano spun his No. 20 Home Depot Toyota and brought out a caution on lap 182, only getting back on the lead lap thanks to NASCAR's "free pass" award seven laps later.

He inherited the race lead on lap 264 when Ryan Newman had to pit for gas. The race was called for rain, 10 laps later. He would have had to come in for gas had the race continued its schedule distance -- another 28 laps.

However, as a very gracious Gordon, who finished runner-up, told the television cameras during the initial rain delay, you take any win you can get.

A win is a win. And Logano, 19, a New England native, was in position to capitalize, making history as the youngest series winner to boot.

"This was the opportunity we had and we had nothing to lose,'' Logano said in his post-race interview. "This is a dream come true and the best race track that it could happen at."

There are no asterisks in NASCAR.

Latest NASCAR Images

Joey Logano smiles in victory lane after winning the rain-shortened NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Joey Logano limps into the pits with flat and missing tires during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Logano went on to win the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Ryan Newman's crew tries to get his engine running on pit row during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Bobby Labonte, front left, and Regan Smith, walk under umbrellas after the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 was called due to rain in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Joey Logano won the race. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Jeff Burton climbs out of his car after a crash during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Josh Gibney)

Joey Logano (20) makes it past a crash during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Logano went on to win the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Josh Gibney)

Jimmie Johnson makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Joey Logano won the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Joey Logano makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Logano won the rain-shorted race. (AP Photo/Gil Talbot)

Martin Truex Jr., left, Casey Mears, center, and Kevin Harvick (29) crash during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Gil Talbot)

Cars crash in Turn 1 during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Joey Logano won the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Mike Silverwood)

Weather Determines Winner - Again originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Humpy and IndyCar? It Could Happen

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:44:00 EST

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lowes Motor Speedway, NASCAR Tracks

The rumor that wouldn't stop after the shuffling of Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Tony George's job duties finally has some teeth.

Humpy Wheeler -- the longtime and now ex-President and General Manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway -- told the Indianapols Star this week that he and his company are in talks with IndyCar officials about promoting the American open-wheel series.

Humpy's name first entered the IndyCar fold after he attended the Indianapolis 500 instead of the 50th-running of the Coca-Cola 600 in May.

Wheeler's newly-formed business -- The Wheeler Company -- is looking to offer "promotional and marketing support" to the somewhat struggling league, said the article:

"Right now it's all in its infancy," he said. "We haven't made any deals yet; we're just in the talking stage."

IMS Corp. officials have not confirmed talks with Wheeler or his son, Trip, who runs the family business.

Wheeler, who in the 1960s worked with Firestone's Indy-car program, said there is a need to "objectively look" at the series.

"What's working, what's not working? What needs to be done, not only from a marketing standpoint, but also what's happening out on the racetrack," he said. "You can have the most beautiful Broadway playhouse, the greatest seats in the world and the greatest actors and actresses, but the content of the play has to be there also for it to work.

"If you've got something that's hot, you're going to get ratings. The question is, how do you make it hot?"

If there's anyone that can make IndyCar racing -- not just Danicamania -- "hot", there's not many other people to look to than Humpy Wheeler.

During his time at LMS, Humpy helped turn the 1.5-mile track into one of NASCAR's cornerstones and also into one of the most fan-friendly tracks in multiple ways -- from extravagant pre-race shows to making sure traffic flow in and out of the facility didn't scare off fans.

Wheeler's connections run deep, far and wide, and his experience for fanning the flames of dramatics in racing have certainly helped the stock car side of motorsports.

Humpy and IndyCar? It Could Happen originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Road Course Racing Is Real Racing, NASCAR Needs More

Holly Cain — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:13:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR Tracks

For those that question NASCAR's race shows -- the people who criticize white-checkered finishes, single file parades and races that are agonizingly too long -- the antidote comes Sunday on the beautiful 1.9-mile road course built into the winding, hills of Northern California wine country.

Road course racing is real racing, the true test of driver talent.

And NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series could stand a few more.

This form of competition requires not only a fast car and good car set-up, but employs different strategies and offers a stage for simmering rivalries and the kind of door-to-door, hard-nosed racing that most NASCAR fans favor.

Best of all, it takes drivers out of their comfort zone. It challenges them in ways they aren't used to and that creates a suspense and sense of excitement that even NASCAR can't manufacturer.

The new double-file restarts will certainly make this edition of road course racing more interesting. NASCAR's best-ever at it, Jeff Gordon, said he expects "havoc" on Sunday at Infineon Raceway.

And just the anticipation of that extra unknown increases the intrigue.

Road courses separate the men from the boys. It's where you see the real racers -- drivers like Gordon, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Robby Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Busch -- put on a clinic. You've actually got to drive the car. It's a test, not an exercise.

For all the wins he's collected driving in different NASCAR series, it was when Busch won both road course races last year -- at Sonoma, Calif. and Watkins Glen, N.Y. -- that ultimately proved to many what a bona fide racing talent he is.

The drivers that protest loudest about adding more road courses are the ones without game.

Say what you want about the IndyCar Series, but part of what makes its championship so competitive and compelling is that it holds events on speedways, short ovals, permanent road courses and street circuits. Imagine how much more interesting NASCAR would be with a schedule as diverse.

Road course racing also represents a prime opportunity for NASCAR to expand into new markets, all without asking taxpayers to foot a hundred million dollar bill for yet another new cookie cutter 1.5-mile speedway.

NASCAR's sister company, International Speedway Corporation, spent a lot of money and time outside Seattle unsuccessfully lobbying to build a track that would have given stock cars a platform in the race-starved Northwest -- a region that has produced two of the Cup Series biggest stars, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle.

A solution would be bringing the Cup Series to the scenic Portland International Raceway course, a popular venue that hosted some of the all-time best Indy car road races and would draw sizable crowds from Oregon to Canada to Idaho.

How about losing one of the Pocono, Dover or New Hampshire dates and take the series to Mid-Ohio and/or Elkhart Lake, Wisc. Instead of two races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, split the difference -- hold one race at the speedway and one at Road Atlanta.

I realize the audacity of these suggestions. The logistics of getting the tracks NASCAR race ready along with territorial power struggles with speedway owners would force NASCAR to anger some longtime venues. But it would simultaneously add countless new fans, tap under-served race markets and break up the monotony of turning left.

In this free-wheeling, diversity-driven, open-minded era of "change," why not consider some drastic new ideas.

For years, I've argued the Chase for the Championship should be representative all of NASCAR's tracks. The Chase needs a road course, not what seems like 250,000 miles at Dover, Delaware.

Until then, pour a glass of Cabernet on Sunday and enjoy one of the two real races of the season.

Road Course Racing Is Real Racing, NASCAR Needs More originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruton Smith Rips NASCAR Again

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 23 May 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Lowes Motor Speedway, Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR Testing, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has a "town hall meeting" scheduled with its drivers next week.

The sport's longtime rival, Bruton Smith, held one of his own Saturday.

Smith, the outspoken, multimillionaire chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., ripped NASCAR for choosing not to disclose the banned substance involved in driver Jeremy Mayfield's suspension, for dropping record penalties on underfunded driver Carl Long and for the kind of racing created with the Car of Tomorrow.

Smith also criticized two former Kentucky Speedway owners who refuse to drop an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. Their decision has delayed the track from getting a Sprint Cup race.

"I have tried everything to get that done," Smith said in a wide-ranging, 40-minute interview session at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I've tried to actually shame them into it because they have a moral responsibility because the state of Kentucky spent $96 million there and assisted on building that speedway. So there's 96 million reasons right there why they ought to drop that lawsuit. But it's still there."

Smith, whose company owns eight NASCAR-sanctioned tracks, was on hand to talk about the 50-year anniversary of the Coca-Cola 600. But he wasted little time taking the sanctioning body, the same one that helped build his fortune, to task on several hot topics.

He questioned the way NASCAR handled Mayfield's situation. Mayfield was suspended indefinitely over a positive random test that remains clouded in secrecy. He was the first driver to be suspended under NASCAR's new random testing policy, toughened up for this season after former driver Aaron Fike admitted using heroin - even on days he raced.

"I think we need some clarity on this," Smith said. "NASCAR, in my opinion, should come forth and say what the substance is. Why do we want all this secrecy behind it? I don't think you progress by being that secretive about something."

The 81-year-old Smith was even more critical of Long's suspension. Long was suspended 12 races and docked 200 points for having a slightly oversized engine at Lowe's last weekend. His crew chief also was fined $200,000. But if a crew chief can't pay a fine in NASCAR, it defaults to the team owner, which is Long and his wife. The record penalties could mean the end of Long's low-budget team.

"Why would you fine this man $200,000 for an engine that's a little bit over?" Smith said. "We've seen that so many times. What is it proving? I don't know who made that decision. ... In my opinion, they're dead wrong. Some of the things that NASCAR can do can disrupt and ruin a person's reputation, ruin their career. Two hundred thousand dollars? I've seen in the past where your engine may be a little bit over and maybe they take the engine."

Long said there's no chance he can pay the fine, and the suspension would prevent him from working his full-time job with another Cup team. Long appealed the penalties, allowing him to work until his June 2 hearing.

"I don't know Carl Long, but there's an injustice done there," Smith said. "I hope he wins his appeal. He can't race for 12 weeks? That's so cruel to try to ruin this man. That would absolutely financially ruin him, and it's just not right. I think you can prove your point a better way than that."

Smith didn't stop there, either.

He complained about NASCAR's bulkier car that has been blamed for less-than-stellar racing the last two years. He also suggested this year's testing ban has handcuffed teams and prevented them from finding solutions to the car's handling woes.

"Sometimes we forget these fans," Smith said. "When NASCAR does something that is so far out ... NASCAR loses a lot of fans when that happens. That's something you wouldn't think would happen in this country. It's too dictatorial and it's not good. We don't need to be making enemies. We need to make friends. We need to be fan-friendly."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Bruton Smith Rips NASCAR Again originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 23 May 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retro Look Taking Shape at Darlington

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:59:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

This doesn't make up for a lack of NASCAR racing at the speedway over Labor Day weekend, but the new retro look at Darlington Raceway is certainly a good look.

Darlington, site of Saturday night's ~~wannabe~~ Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com -- don't forget that GoDaddy or Danica will go after you -- has drawn up an old-time logo and repainted its walls to commemorate the track's 60th anniversary.

And if I must say so myself, the alternating red-and-white paint job around the track [photos below] isn't such a bad idea for a track that with the history and character of Darlington.

The track unveiled the new look a little over a week ago when former Southern 500 winner and three-time Cup champ Cale Yarborough stopped by for a promotional day with current Sprint Cup rookie Joey Logano.

"Giving the most famous walls on the NASCAR circuit a retro facelift seemed very fitting as part of our 60th celebration," said Chris Browning, Darlington's track president in a news release. "This is the first time since 1989 that the walls have been painted anything but white and it certainly reminds me of the early days of NASCAR racing."

Browning, of course, calls the walls of Darlington the 'most famous' because of how prevalent the 'Darlington Stripe' is at the track. A 'stripe' happens when a driver tags the outside Darlington wall to leave both a mark on the race car and on the wall which, thanks to the line drivers run at the track near that wall, is a very common occurence.

The news release said it took 315 gallons of paint and the track's maintanence department over 50 hours to restore the look the track had used up until 1989. The red and white sections are alternating at 40 feet long a piece.

This isn't the first time a track has revamped the wall color for a race, as next weekend's Sprint Cup All-Star Race will feature walls painted to match the yellow of Sprint -- the race's title sponsor.

In both cases, I think, they've added a nice visual aesthetic to watching the action television and at the track simply because its something different. Sure, I may be on a kick this week about getting a more diverse character to NASCAR this week, but can you really argue against that?

Retro Look Taking Shape at Darlington originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 05 May 2009 20:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Cup at Kentucky? No Thanks

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:47:00 EST

Filed under: Speedway Motorsports Inc., NASCAR Tracks

Consider the effort to get NASCAR Sprint Cup racing in the Bluegrass State officially underway.

Monday, Speedway Motorsports Incorporated's Bruton Smith talked at Lowe's Motor Speedway about how he's revamping his recent Kentucky Speedway purchase, and more importantly, his plan to lobby NASCAR for a Sprint Cup date at the track in 2010.

But, come on, does NASCAR really need another 1.5-miler on its schedule -- even if it likely replaces another cookie-cutter track?

I say no, if for no other reason than to look at the last two outings that NASCAR's top division has made at Richmond and Talladega.

Talladega, if I remember correctly, had a little bit of controversy thanks to a pair of multi-car wrecks, plenty of close racing (does anyone really care if it's artificially good?) and that Carl Edwards crash injuring a few fans. Sure, the race had a few major flaws, but it was something NASCAR hadn't had at such a level in a long while: lots of things for fans to talk about at the water cooler the next day.

And Richmond on Saturday night, of course, was just good ol' Richmond. Kyle Busch may have stunk up the show at the very end, but there was on-track action, passes for the lead and drama in the pits.

Now think back for a second to NASCAR's first three visits to 1.5-milers this season -- the "cookie-cutters" because they are all the same length with either a dogleg or sweeping curve frontstretch and similar corner banking -- at Atlanta, Las Vegas and Texas, and tell me what the most compelling storylines were.

Kyle Busch grabbed a hometown win in Las Vegas, Kurt Busch dominated Atlanta and Jeff Gordon finally found victory lane again in Texas. In between? Few incidents and a healthy dose of yawns for spectators at home.

And still yet to come this year in the 1.5-mile department are two visits to Lowe's Motor Speedway, a stop by Chicagoland, a visit to Kansas and returns to Atlanta and Texas

Tell me again why NASCAR fans need more of the same at Kentucky in the Sprint Cup schedule?

Kentucky won't be vastly different from any of those other venues, except that its banking is moderately lower than most. It has not been a track known for its consistent side-by-side racing during Nationwide Series races there.

Smith didn't elaborate on how he plans to secure a date for his new track in 2010, other than to say he's looking at swapping a date from one of the other SMI-owned properties. And because nearly the entire SMI portfolio is in the cookie-cutter style of track with the exception of Bristol, New Hampshire and Infineon, the swap wouldn't make a dramatic change to the complexion of the NASCAR schedule.

A lack of change, honestly, would be somewhat of a disappointment.

Racing at Kentucky would probably have a nice honeymoon period, but just like Chicagoland or Kansas, the luster of a downforce racetrack is starting to wear thin in this sport where the best shows are nearly always on a track with actual character.

Sprint Cup at Kentucky? No Thanks originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 04 May 2009 23:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jim France to Step Down at ISC

Holly Cain — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks

NASCAR's sister company, International Speedway Corporation (ISC), announced today that Jim France, 64, will step down as Chief Executive Officer on June 1 and that his niece, Lesa France Kennedy (pictured right), will secede him.

Kennedy, 47, daughter of the late NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. and sister to current NASCAR Chairman Brian France, is ISC President and has been a member of the board of directors since 1984.

Her uncle, the son of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., has been with the company for 50 years and will remain the Chairman of the Board of Directors in a non-executive capacity.

The announcement was made today during ISC's annual shareholder meeting.

"These changes follow the company's plan of succession that has been in place for quite some time," France said. "Under Lesa's continued leadership, I have every confidence they will drive future success for ISC's shareholders for many years to come."

The family-run ISC owns and operates 13 tracks that host NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including Daytona International Speedway and speedways in the Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Kansas City markets. In all, they host 19 races on NASCAR's 36-race schedule.

ISC's current chief operating officer John Saunders, 52, will become President.

Jim France to Step Down at ISC originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Ticket Sales Slow for Indy

Holly Cain — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR Tracks, IRL

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- NASCAR may boast that it is America's most popular motorsport, but when it comes to America's most famous track, IndyCar racing is still the crown jewel.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Joie Chitwood said ticket sales are as robust as ever for the May 24 Indianapolis 500, but that sales for NASCAR's July 26 Allstate 400 are lagging.

"I feel really good for the 500, but I'm seeing some pain with the 400 and I think that's because of the economy and the tire issue we had last year," Chitwood said Saturday while visiting St. Petersburg, site of Sunday's IndyCar Series' season-opener.

Chitwood noted the empty grandstands at several NASCAR events this season and insisted The Speedway isn't immune from economic pinch. But a great tradition -- IMS celebrates its Centennial this year -- certainly helps.

"When times are tough and people don't have the same discretionary income, they have to make different decisions," Chitwood said. "Instead of going to three events they may only go to one and we hope the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is at the top of the list."

As for NASCAR's visit, Chitwood said it is not really fair to compare the two events straight up. NASCAR has a 15-year tradition and the Indy cars have raced there for nearly a century.

NASCAR comes in for a weekend. The IndyCar Series stop is a month-long event beginning with rookie orientation, practice, a pair of qualifying weekends and, finally, the race on Memorial Day weekend.

It didn't help that controversy dominated last year's stock car 400-miler, when tire problems forced NASCAR to throw caution flags about every 10-12 laps. Goodyear and NASCAR have promised proper testing to alleviate the potential of that happening again -- blaming the unexpected circumstance on the combination of new car, high speeds and the speedway's low banking.

Chitwood said he was encouraged by a tire test held at the Speedway at the end of the 2008 season and is "looking forward to what April (tire test) brings."

"At the end of the day the Indy 500 will always be part of of the DNA of the speedway ... that's our existence," Chitwood said. "The NASCAR event is fantastic, the motorcycles have been a fantastic addition, but at the end of the day, it's about the 500."

NASCAR Ticket Sales Slow for Indy originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watkins Glen Gets 'Heluva' Race Sponsor

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:14:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

There's not a doubt in my mind that NASCAR's Watkins Glen International Raceway just picked up one of the most, uh, interesting race sponsorship titles.

As has been the norm for the past few years at the 11-turn road course in the upstate finger lakes region of New York, the title of the August event has taken many flavors -- from boating companies to computer products manufacturers.

This year, though, there's no Centurion, AMD or Sirius Satellite Radio involved, rather, folks there are looking to have a Heluva Good! time.

What's with this absurd amount of "Heluva" use, you may ask? It's simple -- the August Sprint Cup Series event at Watkins Glen will now be known, thanks to a one-year contract, as the "Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen".

Doesn't that just roll off the tongue about as comfortably as a lecture given by a person with a lost voice?

Of course, the "Heluva Good!" part isn't going to make the race any better or any worse than it has been in the past, but I'm looking forward to the large tubs of sour cream dip that should be a mandatory champagne replacement in victory lane.

Instead of spraying everyone with the bubbly, how about we give the winner (last year, it was Kyle Busch) an oversized bowl of the dip and nice, large wooden spoon made especially for sour cream dip tossing.

Talk about a Heluva mess.

The August event won't be the first time Heluva Good! has been involved with NASCAR, as the fine sour cream dip folks from just about an hour north of the road course have -- to the best of my recollection -- sponsored a few Nationwide Series events here and there. I also know the name for two other reasons, including 1) at last year's fall Lowe's Motor Speedway events, I picked up a few product samples and 2) a couple that the father and I traditionally tailgate with at LMS won a contest for the rights to a suite during the Nationwide Series race for them and like 20 people.

Unfortunately, they didn't partake in the activities because the value of the prize meant they were going to be hit with a tax of a few thousand dollars. In other words, be wary of those sweet, sweet contests you are prodded to enter.

Regardless, good news that Watkins Glen got a race sponsor in this oh-so-fun economy, and I'm certainly looking forward to watching a Heluva Good! race there come August.

Yeah, I'll stop now.

Watkins Glen Gets 'Heluva' Race Sponsor originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruton Smith's Logic for Moving NASCAR Finale Not Enough

Holly Cain — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR Tracks

Whether you always agree with Bruton Smith or not, you've got to appreciate the way he keeps NASCAR's power brokers honest and on their toes.

This week the outspoken and oft-controversial Smith suggested that NASCAR move the season finale from Homestead-Miami Speedway back to Atlanta Motor Speedway, where the champion was crowned through 2001.

Of course Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) owns and operates the speedways in Atlanta; Texas; Las Vegas; Sonoma, Calif.; Bristol; and Charlotte; so he is always trying to drum up new business. And often his ideas make sense, like the idea that Las Vegas should have a second date.

But the Associated Press quoted Smith as asking this week: "Why have the last race of the season at some godforsaken area just north of Cuba?"

And he'll need a better argument than that.

The Homestead area - located South of Miami at the gateway to the Florida Keys - may not be home to the "traditional" NASCAR fan base - but the traditional NASCAR fan base has certainly come to attend this race.
It is also a big hit for locals, which include a strong Latin fan base that NASCAR has pursued.

The track has worked hard to make the race a huge event in the area. You can count on good weather even in mid-November and it's a destination visit that attracts fans and sponsors.

The races have been good, the championships interesting.

Smith argues that Atlanta would offer a larger grandstand and easier travel - great points - but Championship Weekend is supposed to be something even more. Something out of the ordinary.

Homestead has always delivered on that. The biggest knock is the late afternoon start times and that has nothing to do with the facility and everything to do with television.

"I love what Bruton brings to the sport," four-time champion Jeff Gordon said. "He always gives you good material to write. ... and he builds beautiful facilities.

"But I do think Homestead is the place to wind down our season. I love that track. I love the area."

Bruton Smith's Logic for Moving NASCAR Finale Not Enough originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daytona's Long Qualifying Routine Is Nearly Meaningless on Race Day

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:55:00 EST

Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

One would assume that this excruciatingly long process to find 43 suitable starters for Sunday's Daytona 500 might be totally worth it.

Think again.

Drivers and teams are forced through a process that literally takes six days to finally complete. One might expect that from a 24-hour endurance race, but this course sets up for Sunday's 500-mile showdown that normally takes just over three hours to complete.

Starting on the Saturday a week before "The Great American Race," teams hit the track for two-lap practice runs to prep for the following day's time trial session. That Sunday session -- an excruciating three hours-worth of individual cars taking to the track -- yield just one sure-fire thing for Sunday's race: Martin Truex Jr. would be on the pole and Mark Martin would be second.

The rest of the cars used their specific speeds combined with their finish in the 2008 owner point standings -- don't ask to me explain that one -- to have their position set for Thursday's pair of 150-mile qualifying races.

From the finish of those races, NASCAR takes the two highest finishing cars per race that are not previously locked in the field as well as the finish of the locked in cars to set the inside and outside line for the 500. A driver is "locked in" based on finishing the previous season in the Top-35 in owner points.

This process leaves four spots left in the field. One of those positions will go to the most recent past NASCAR champion not already locked in the field and three others are decided based on the first day qualifying speeds of the remaining cars.

So, come Sunday, NASCAR has 43 drivers locked in important positions, right?

Well, not exactly.

Going back in every single race at Daytona since 2000, the average starting spot of the winner is 11th-place, with Kevin Harvick in 2007 starting from 34th before taking home the Harley J. Earl Trophy.

And for Harvick, it's not like it took him 500 miles to find the front, either. By lap 81 of the 200 lap race (the race was extended in to 202 in 2007), Harvick found himself out front for 3 laps.

Advancing position at Daytona (and it's near-sister track Talladega, for that matter) is made much easier thanks to the style of pack racing that the restrictor-plate affords. One of the most noted examples, in fact, came from the 2000 season at Talladega when Dale Earnhardt drove from 18th-place with 5 laps to go to win.

Knowing that, and knowing that the past 9 Daytona 500s have seen an average of 25 lead changes per race, its crazy to think about the time, effort and money teams spend just getting into the show.

Sure, it helps garner excitement for NASCAR's biggest event and works to dethaw a long offseason, but at the end of the day -- or, of the race -- is the drawn out qualifying process really worth it?

I don't really think so.

Daytona's Long Qualifying Routine Is Nearly Meaningless on Race Day originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Says No to 'Circus'; Tells Tracks to 'Get Back to Work'

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:35:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Speedway Motorsports Inc., NASCAR Tracks

Friday afternoon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. graced the web pages of Sports Illustrated after writer Bruce Martin hung around with the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for a day's-worth of commercial work recently.

The piece was mostly centered around Earnhardt Jr.'s status as a commercial icon and previewed an ad for sponsor GoDaddy.com that will feature fellow Hendrick/JR Motorsports driver Brad Keselowski, but as we've come to expect from Earnhardt Jr., the driver didn't hold back when asked about some comments made during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Media tour just a few weeks back.

Those comments centered around Speedway Motorsports, Inc., chairman Bruton Smith claiming that the drivers need to do a little more to help sell tickets in the struggling climate that faces the 2009 season.
Earnhardt Jr., ever the guy to give a straight answer, fought back in a fashion that seemed like he was getting pretty tired of being told to get more emotional or physical on-track.

Upon hearing that during a break in his commercial shoot, Earnhardt fired back with a message of his own.

"The race track owners want drivers to do more? Yeah, right. They need to go back to work," he said. "They forgot what it's like to sell tickets. That's their problem. They ain't had to sell tickets for a long time and none of them remember how or knew how or ever learned how.

Sure, there's quite a few race track employees that came on when NASCAR experienced its massive boom in the 1990s and 2000s, but there are more than a few folks in the industry that have worked through much leaner times. Regardless, Earnhardt Jr. carried on.

"They need to get back to working hard and doing their promotions and putting packages together for race fans. They don't want to cut the ticket price but they probably should and get these hotels to quit gouging these people. They can dump that responsibility on drivers all they want but the responsibility really lies in their hands to sell race tickets and they have to get creative in doing it. We already do a lot. We do [bleeping] plenty and they are full of [bleep]."

For the most part, I can't help but agree with him. Ticket prices for many events have skyrocketed in the past 15 years and unless you're staying an hour or more away from the track, it's tough to find a hotel without a 3-night minimum and a $200/night rate.

And its certainly hard to dispute that the drivers already put on the best show they can because, let's face it, mailing in a race simply doesn't win a championship.

Have drivers gotten too meda-saavy and become experts at managing their reputations? At times, that's a hard dispute to make, but can you blame a driver who's hotter than a volcano after a race but won't talk to the cameras because of the scrutiny he'd receive over the next week for commiting such an act?

I find that a tough one to pull.

NASCAR has a lot of changes in store for its sport in 2009 thanks to the ever-worsening state of affairs afflicting entertainment industries as a whole, but I don't foresee any drastic reputation changes making a huge difference in ticket sales.

It is indeed time for both the tracks and the sanctioning body to step up and make sure they offer the single-best show a race fan could get at any given tracks. And if the drivers add to that with some spice of their own, well, that's just a nice topping.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Says No to 'Circus'; Tells Tracks to 'Get Back to Work' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Ticket Prices Falling Fast

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

Because of the struggling economy, 2009 could be the best year in a long, long time to see a handful of NASCAR races for a great value.

Thanks to this whole recession thing, several tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit aren't exactly selling too many tickets at the moment, and the speedways have wisely dropped some prices trying to get people through the gate. Here's a few of the offers that would make some really great -- but really late -- stocking stuffers:

Daytona Int'l Speedway: Wanna get into "The Great American Race" for a decent price? The race, that has sold out many years in a row, if offering up some $55 seats on the backstretch. That price is the cheapest ticket for a Daytona 500 since 1995.

Talladega Superspeedway: Talladega has always had some good offers for backstretch seats ($60 for two days!) but this season has brought out some better discounts. 20,000 seats have been marked down to $40 in the Lincoln and Gadsden stands, and the track also has free overnight camping. If you want a party, well, don't say I didn't warn ya.

Richmond Int'l Raceway: The backstretch Henrico Grandstand has seen reductions of 25 and 50 percent for tickets in 2009, with the lower rows starting at $40 and the middle rows at $55. Not a bad deal for the track that saw the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Kyle Busch rivalry of 2008.

Darlington Raceway: Tickets for the Southern 500 over Mother's Day weekend in 2009 have been slashed for this night race at one of NASCAR's true gems. Tickets in rows 3-14 of the Colvin Grandstand have dropped $10 to a $35 price -- accounting for some 9,000 seats.

Atlanta Motor Speedway: AMS saw some truly miserable crowds in 2008, but 2009 brings a Labor Day weekend night race to the track for the first time ever. The track is offering a couple of options including $39 adult tickets and $19 student tickets in Turn 3 and even a payment plan for other tickets requiring just $20 down on each seat.

California Speedway: I can't say I'd recommend this track over other options for NASCAR fans, but if you're in SoCal and are looking for a NASCAR experience, this track has tickets $35 tickets that get a person in for the second race of the Sprint Cup season.

NASCAR Ticket Prices Falling Fast originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TMS to Offer $20 Seats, Trackside RV Parking

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:28:00 EST

Filed under: Speedway Motorsports Inc., NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

Texas Motor Speedway's Eddie Gossage has figured out a way to slash the prices on some tickets, remove 21,000 seats and still be in a position to make more money in 2009.

Perhaps we need to put ol' Eddie in charge of this seriously fun economic situation. And by seriously fun, I mean, well something a whole lot different.

Anywho, Gossage announced that -- count 'em -- 21,000 backstretch seats will be eliminated over the next 75 days and replaced with a nice, hopefully level, viewing mound that will accomdate the parking spots of 74 motorcoaches who will pay $15,000 per year for the most luxiorous accomodations a speedway could offer.

Wireless internet, pre-race pit passes, a dedicated concierge/assistant and a plethora of other offerings one would probably expect after dishing out $15k for a few race weekends are included, as well as passes for 10 people to the motorhome area, pit area during pre-race and a access to the track's Speedway Club.

So, if any of you NASCAR highballers out there need a know-it-all blogger to indulge in the fruits of your hospitality, I'll gladly make my way to the Lone Star State to help you out.

For the rest of us, TMS also announced a pretty good deal some of the remaining seats along the backstretch, or what is now dubbed "burnout alley".

If you're looking to see a Sprint Cup race, I'd bet you're not going to get in any cheaper than the $20 promotion TMS is running for some 1,080 seats (and yes, that 1080 thing might have something to do with Samsung sponsoring the April event) along the backstretch.

The seats aren't even close to being the greatest at the speedway, but they'll certainly get a race fan in the gates for a much cheaper than usual and seat will be plenty close to the cars as the race by.

All in all, the moves by Gossage could potentially increase revenue by close to $400,000 at the track by taking away seats and lowering some prices. Not a bad move, if I say so myself.

TMS to Offer $20 Seats, Trackside RV Parking originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Souvenirs Galore at NASCAR's Black Friday

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:14:00 EST

Filed under: Lowes Motor Speedway, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

Stewart shirts, Dale die-casts, Jeff jackets, Burton bed covers and Carl clocks -- it'll all be there, ready and waiting for NASCAR fans willing to brave the chilly early morning temperatures outside of Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

The suburban Charlotte track will be hosting its annual "Souvenir and Race Ticket Blow-Out" starting Friday at 8 a.m./EDT doing just that, blowing out souvenirs and race tickets as only a race track could.

T-shirts will be starting at $2 and special trailer will be offering huge discounts on die-cast cars -- with some even being autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr.

There's no word on how much race fans will be paid to make the orange No. 20 Tony Stewart gear disappear forever, however.

Additionally, Lowe's Motor Speedway is offering a ticket deal of their own with a free qualifying ticket for each race ticket purchased for the 2009 season.

LMS is also offering fans who spend $50 (that's like 25 t-shirts!) on Friday a chance to drive their personal vehicles around the 1.5-mile track and fans making purchases on Saturday and Sunday a free tour of the drag strip and a free gift.

All in all, if you're in the area, it sounds like a pretty good deal for a race fan looking to score some gear and deeply-discounted prices from what you'd normally expect in the souvenir trailers that are normally on hand at each race track.

So what are you waiting for? Fire up the ol' sedan and hit up LMS for some good deals on all the racing gear you'd ever need.

Souvenirs Galore at NASCAR's Black Friday originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Las Vegas Sprint Cup Race Now 7% Better

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:09:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

Tony Stewart has to be excited about that headline.

Wednesday brought good news to any race fan who already has tickets to the Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March of 2009.

The track, thanks to a new race-naming sponsorship from Shelby Automobiles (the company created and ran by Carroll Shelby, a legend in the sports car world), will now name the race the Shelby 427. And I promise, 427 wasn't just a randomly picked number:

The Sprint Cup Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1, 2009 will be sponsored by Shelby Automobiles. The event will be lengthened to 427 miles and will be called the "Shelby 427."

Together, LVMS and Shelby will market a Las Vegas Motor Speedway Limited Edition Shelby 427 package for the Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang.

Interesting. A "Las Vegas Motor Speedway Limited Edition Shelby 427 package" is certainly a mouthful, but more importantly, that's going to be one big emblem to slap on the rear end of a mustang. LXi or Limited apparently was not available.

This package will be available to 427 previous Shelby GT500 owners on a first-come first-serve basis, and will include Carroll Shelby's autograph, race tickets and a chance at being the race's honorary starter. For more info on that, check out the LVMS web site.

Changing the race length for a race-naming is nothing new in NASCAR competition, though it doesn't happen too often. The April Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway is currently named the Aaron's 499, though it is still technically a 500-mile race.

The Nationwide Series race at Talladega on the same weekend goes by the moniker of "Aaron's 312" and is a 312-mile race because of the Aaron's rental stores slogan of "3 ways to buy, 12 reasons to shop at Aaron's!".

Anyways, enough of the sponsorship lingo and back to the main point. Get out and buy a ticket for the Vegas race in March! It's a nearly 7 percent better value than the 2008 edition!

Las Vegas Sprint Cup Race Now 7% Better originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Todd Palin Headed to Martinsville Speedway, Continues Republican NASCAR Swing

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:53:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Gossip, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's ~~first man~~ husband will take his turn on the GOP's swing of NASCAR races with less than three weeks remaining in the presidential election.

The Alaskan governor's husband, Todd Palin, will serve as an "honorary race official" for Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va.

Now I doubt hubby Todd will find himself checking for missing lugnuts or counting the number of crew members over the wall during a pit stop, but I'll imagine he'll get the same treatment GOP presidential candidate John McCain's wife Cindy got a week ago at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Cindy McCain served as the "honorary race director" and her duties consisted of shaking hands and addressing the crowd briefly in a non-partisan manner before the race. Nope, Mrs. McCain wasn't responsible for any debris cautions last Saturday night, and that's a good thing unless she wants to be treated like her husband's running mate.

Regardless, it seems pretty apparent that both the Republican party and both tracks are utilizing the event to garner more voters and fill some empty seats by pandering to race fans who traditionally swing on the side of the political red.

Of course, that's not a 100 percent lock based on my non-scientific observation of a sizable portion of fans throwing boos toward Cindy McCain a week ago at LMS -- though it wasn't a majority.

The press release from the track definitely was on the uppity-up about Mr. Palin, boasting about his current line of work in Alaska:

As an honorary race official, Palin will be introduced in the drivers meeting early in the day, visit with drivers and other race officials in the pits and appear in prerace activities. While new to stock car racing, Palin is a world champion snow machine racer who is a lifelong Alaskan. He is a commercial fisherman, a production operator on Alaska's North Slope, and a member of the United Steelworkers Union. He and Governor Palin, who have five children, recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.

Tack on to that "future Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan" and "tired of the me-first attitude of Kyle Busch" and both the track and the GOP will be looking at a sure-fire NASCAR voter jackpot.

Todd Palin Headed to Martinsville Speedway, Continues Republican NASCAR Swing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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